I’m Putting a Quilt in My Bathroom — the Result Is Shockingly Chic

Bathrooms can feel a bit sterile — especially when you’re working with a space that can’t be painted or upgraded (unlike these small-space-friendly ideas). Candles, artwork, billowy curtains, and cozy bathmats can certainly make a bathroom feel a bit more homey. But I’m putting a quilt in mine to really lean into the grandmillennial look — yes, seriously!

So obviously I’m not swapping out my washcloths for “granny” squares (although, I’m not totally against that idea), but I am going to try hanging a quilt instead of a shower curtain. I stumbled upon this viral video of an Instagram user doing just that, and now that I’ve seen it I really don’t think there’s a better way to add charm to a bland, dark, and somewhat dismal bathroom.

“Using everything but an actual shower curtain … the quilt is a little feral, but the colors make a dark space so much more magical,” Marissa Zingg, the creator behind @onecraftdiygirl on Instagram, wrote in a recent caption. Sure, it’s “a little feral,” as she points out — but it’s also pretty ingenious.

The key to really pulling off this look without pulling down your entire curtain rod system is to actually just use a quilt topper (that is, just the pieced cotton layer that’s created before it’s quilted to the batting and backing layers). 

This keeps the curtain super lightweight. And when used with a clear shower curtain liner, you’ll keep the quilt topper safe from excess moisture (and you’ll even be able to enjoy looking at it while you’re actually in the shower!).

You can source vintage quilt toppers from antique stores or secondhand sites like eBay, or you can “cheat” and pick up a top sheet with a quilt-inspired pattern like this one from Urban Outfitters. 

You could also try to use a really lightweight, twin-size quilt sourced from a thrift store. Just make sure you have enough shower curtain hooks to hold it in place and you’ll be ready to have the coziest shower ever.

“Love the quilt as a shower curtain!! It looks great,” one person commented on Marissa’s post. Another said, “Yeah I’m Team Quilt for sure.”

I’m giving this DIY a go in an effort to create a much cozier bathroom experience. It’s a perfect wintertime hack that gives a boring and basic bathroom a ton of personality.